Spring supported rocking chair



Nov. 30, 1948. w. J. LA VALLIERE 2,454,932

v SPRING SUPPORTED ROCKING CHAIR Fi led Nov. 7. 1946 Patented Nov. 30,, 1948 umrso v STATES ATENT orricn SPRING SUPPORTED ROCKENG CHAIR Walter J. La Valliere, Sheboygan, Wis.

Application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,231

This invention relates to rocking chairs and refers particularly to rocking chairs of the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,324,091, issued July 13, 1943, to Walter J. La Valliere, and wherein the chair structure is resiliently supported from a leg structure to allow yielding descent as well as rocking motion.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved spring suspension for rocking chairs of this type.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting the height and tilt of the rocker making it adaptable to persons of varying proportions.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting the tension on the springs so as to adapt the chair to persons of different weight.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a spring suspension for rocking chairs of the character described which is a complete unit in itself adapted to be fully assembled entirely apart from either the chair structure or its sup-' porting leg structure and to be quickly and easily attached to both.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description'proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side View of a rocking chair embodying this invention, parts thereof being illus trated in light broken lines; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the spring suspension per se removed from the chair structure and its supporting legs.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates generally the frame of a chair structure which in accordance with this invention is resiliently supported upon a leg structure 6 by means of a spring suspension indicated generally by the numeral l. Inasmuch as the chair and leg structures are conventional they have not been shown in detail, but merely illustrated in light broken lines in Figure l.

6 Claims. (o1. 155-50) As is well known to those skilled in the art, the chair structure includes spaced side members 8 and the leg structure has front and rear cross rails 9 and is respectively. The spring suspension l of this invention is secured to the side rails S of the chair structure and cross rails 9 and it of the leg structure in a manner to be described.

The spring suspension comprises a rigid frame consisting of frontand back rails H and i2 respectively, joined by side rails l3. All of these rails are preferably made of angle iron, and their connections may be effected in any suitable manner as by means of bolts or welding.

The side rails [3 have holes M in their vertical flanges and the dimensions of the frame are such that the vertical flanges of the side rails fit flush against the inner sides of the side memhers B of the chair structure. The side members 8 have sets of vertically spaced holes l5 so 10- oated that bolts Hi passing through the holes It in the side rails of the frame may be inserted in any set of holes if) to secure the frame to the chair structure in different positions with respect thereto. By means of this simple adjustment the height and tilt of the rocker may be readily adjusted to suit individual requirements.

The horizontal flanges of the side rails it have a series of holes 5 I along the length thereof into which the ends of tension springs 88 are engaged. In the present instance there are five such springs 18 in a group connected to each side rail It. The opposite ends of these two groups of springs are hooked to bars I9 which form part of supporting brackets. Another group of tension springs 28 also hooked to the bars iii in line with the springs is have their opposite end-s connected to adjustable anchor bars 2 l.

The two groups of aligned tension springs lying between each anchor bar 2! and its adjacent side rail it constitute two sets of springs, and the two sets of springs are adjustably tensioned by drawing the anchor bars together by means of turnbuckles 22. The ends of the anchor bars are secured to the front and back rails H and H2 in their desired positions of adjustment as by means of bolts 23 passing through suitable apertures in the ends of the anchor bars and engaging in elongated slots 24 in the horizontal flanges of the angle iron rails l! and it. Obviously during adjustment of the tension on the springs by tightening or loosening the turnbuckles, the con n-ection-s between the anchor bar-s and the front and back rails are loosened .to be .retight'ened" after the adjustment is effected.

While two turnbuckles have been illustrated, one near the front and the other near the back of the frame, it will be readily appreciated that by having either the front or back ends of the anchor bars connected to their adjacent frame parts in such a manner as to provide merely a pivotal connection, with their other ends freely adjustable, a single turnbuckle acting on the free end portions of the anchor bars will provide adjustment for the tension of the springs.

The bars IE to which the springs l8 and are hooked have legs extending downwardly therefrom, and these legs are adapted to rest upon the front and rear cross rails 9 and I0 and to be secured thereto by bolts passing through the cross rails and through holes 25 in the legs.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides a novel spring suspension for rocking chairs of the type in which the chair structure is resiliently supported on the leg structure and that by virtue of the adjustable anchor bars drawn together by turnbuckles, the tension on the sets of springs can be readily adjusted and balanced to provide harder or softer spring action, or one set of springs may be adjusted independently of the other to enable the frame structure of the chair to maintain the proper position; and by virtue of the simple adjustable connection between the spring suspension unit and the chair structure, the height and tut of the chair can be readily and quickly varied.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a rocking chair of the type having a stationary leg structure including front and rear cross bars and a chair structure mounted thereon in a manner permitting resilient descent as well as rocking. of the chair structure: a unitary spring suspension assembly connecting the leg and chair structures, and comprising, a, rigid frame including front, back and side rails rigidly connected to each other; a pair of adjustable anchor members lying between and substantially parallel with the side rails of the spring frame; a set of tension springs connecting each anchor member with one of the side rails; adjustable tensioning means connecting the anchor members to draw the same together and thereby adjust the tension on said springs; means for securing the ends of the tension bars, in their adjusted positions, to the front and back rails of the frame; mounting brackets connected to the medial portion of each set of said tension springs, but not otherwise joined to the frame so that said brackets are resiliently movable with respect to the frame as permitted by the tension on the springs; means on said brackets for securing the same to the front and back cross bars of the leg structure; and means for securing the side members of the rigid frame to the chair structure.

2. In a rocking chair of the type having a stationary leg structure including front and rear cross bars and a chair structure having side members, mounted on the leg structure in a manner permitting resilient descent as Well as rocking of the chair structure: a unitary spring suspension assembly connecting the leg and chair structures, and comprising, a rigid frame including front, back and side rails rigidly connected to each other; a pair of adjustable anchor members lying between and substantially parallel with the side rails of the spring frame; a set of tension springs connecting each anchor memher with one of the side rails; adjustable ten- P sioning means connecting the anchor members to draw the same together and thereby adjust the tension on said springs; means for securing the ends of the tension bars, in their adjusted positions, to the front and back rails of the frame; mounting brackets connected to the medial portion of each set of said tension springs, but not otherwise joined to the frame so that said brackets are resiliently movable with respect to the frame as permitted by the tension on the springs; means on said brackets for se curing the same to the front and back cross bars of the leg structure; and means for securing the side rails rigidly to the side members of the chair structure in one of several positions of elevational relationship.

3. A spring suspension for a rocking chair having a leg structure separate from the chair structure provided inter alia with side members, comprising: a rigid frame having front, rear and side rails adapted to fit between the side members of the chair structure; means for securing the side rails of the rigid frame to the side members of the chair structure at different positions of adjustment; adjustable anchor bars extending across the rigid frame from front to rear and substantially parallel with the side rails thereof; a set of tension springs connecting each of said adjustable anchor bars with the adjacent side rail of the frame; means for drawing said anchor bars together to adjust the tension on said springs; mounting brackets connected to the medial portion of each set of tension springs; and means for connecting said mounting brackets to the leg structure of the rocking chair.

4. A spring suspension for a rocking chair having a leg structure separate from the chair structure, comprising: a rigid frame having front, rear, and side rails; means for adjustably securing the rigid frame to one of said structures; adjustable anchor bars adjustably connected with the front and rear rails of said frame and each being substantially parallel with one of said side rails; a plurality of tension springs connecting each of said anchor bars with the adjacent side rail of the frame; adjustable tensioning means connecting the anchor bars and providing means for adjusting the tension of said spring; a pair of bracket units each having a bar connected to the medial portions of one set of said tension springs so that said bracket units are resiliently connected to the rigid frame; and means for securing said bracket units to the other one of said two structures.

5. A spring suspension for rocking chairs of the type having a leg structure and a chair structure resiliently supported thereon, comprising: a rigid frame having front, rear, and side rails; means for securing said frame to one of said structures; a pair of supporting bracket members lying Within said rigid frame, each including a bar substantially parallel to an adjacent one of the side rails of the frame, and legs extending rigidly from the bar; means for securing said legs to the other of said structures; tension springs connecting each of said bracket members with the adjacent side rail of the frame; and means for maintaining said springs under tension.

6. A spring suspension for rocking chairs of the type having a leg structure and a chair structure resiliently supported thereon, comprising: a rigid frame having front, rear and side rails; means for securing said frame to one of said structures; a pair of supporting bracket members lying within said rigid frame, each including a bar substantitlly parallel to an adjacent one of the side rails of the frame, and legs extending rigidly from the bar; means for securing said legs to the other of said structures; tension springs connecting each of said bracket members with the adjacent side rail of the frame; and adjustable tensioning means connecting the bars of the two bracket members to maintain said springs under an adjustable degree of tension.

WALTER J. LA VALLIERE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Piper June 27, 1939 La Valliere July 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 16, 1935 

